Brassieres, or bras as they are commonly referred to today, have evolved over the years along with styles of clothing and the perception of female attractiveness with respect to certain cultures. For example during the Renaissance Period, it was fashionable in the European culture to have a very exposed bustline. Thus, in response to this trend, dresses were made to expose a woman's bustline that was further accentuated by undergarments such as corsets that pushed the breasts up and together and pulled in the waistline. Some time after the Renaissance Period, small breasts were in style making the corset the fashionable item to wear. By contrast, in America during the early 1900s, the perception of female attractiveness was one that favored smaller, unexposed breasts, prompting the development and manufacture of corsets designed to flatten the breasts rather than enhance them.
Since the early 1900s, the perception of female attractiveness has essentially reversed itself in many cultures. In America, for example, many view large breasts and clothing that exposes the female bustline to be fashionable and equate this type of appearance with sexual attractiveness. Accordingly, the fashion industry has developed bras that enhance the female breasts and clothing to expose the bustline.
Also, since the early 1900s, the fashion industry has also designed clothing that reveals more of the female body. One trendy or fashionable design that has been and remains popular among many women are articles of clothing that reveal the their backs, such as low-cut or backless clothing. For example, evening gowns, prom dresses, cocktail dresses, and the like that are low-cut in the back or backless are considered to be elegant by many men and women. The low-cut and backless look is also permeating into other types of clothing such as the backless halter-top which is considered among some of the trendy fashion items for the upcoming 2002 summer season.
The traditional or basic bra typically has two cups, a left cup for the left breast, and a right cup for the right breast, and four straps—two back straps and two shoulder straps. The two back straps are typically affixed to the bra cups to extend around the individual's torso with free ends that fasten at the back. The two shoulder straps are also usually affixed to the bra cups and extend over each shoulder and are affixed to a respective back strap. When worn with low-cut or backless articles of clothing, these four straps are usually exposed, which oftentimes detracts from the article of clothing. Accordingly, given the desire of many women to wear low-cut or backless articles of clothing, this basic bra design has had to evolve.
One way in which the basic bra design has evolved is to eliminate the need for shoulder straps. Thus, the entire support for the female's breasts must be achieved through both the cup design and the back straps. This type of bra is commonly referred to as the strapless bra, which can be worn with clothing that exposes the female's shoulders. However, the back straps of the strapless bra are still exposed if worn with low-cut or backless clothing.
Various efforts to design a bra that is both backless and strapless have been made. For example, Brazabar Corporation sells a bra having two disconnected breast cups without shoulder straps or back straps. The interior of each breast cup has an adhesive liner that allows the breast cups to be adhered to the breasts. Brazabar Corporation also makes a somewhat different backless, strapless bra in the form of two separate pieces of a tape-like adhesive material that sticks to the breasts. Unlike the first design described above, this second design lacks a structural breast cup framework, and is adapted to mold to the shape of the user. The wearer simply places the adhesive tape over the breasts to create a supported look. Finally, Brazabra Corporation also makes strap attachment accessories with hook and eye fasteners. These strap attachment accessories are designed to lengthen and pull down the back straps of the basic bra so as to conceal them from view.
The strapless and backless bras described above have several drawbacks. First, the two types of adhesive cups do not offer the same amount of support that the traditional bra offers which places larger breasted women at somewhat of a disadvantage. Secondly, with respect to the back strap accessories item described, the straps do not always eliminate the appearance of the bra's back strap. Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a brassiere that is able to be worn with low-cut or backless articles of clothing that provides support for the individual's breasts in the same or similar way as a traditional or basic bra. The present invention is directed to meeting those needs.